What happened
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez told journalist Josep Pedrerol that the referee in Real's Champions League tie against Bayern Munich "did not want us to be in the semi-finals." Perez specifically pointed to a missed second yellow card on midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, saying the official "didn't do it maliciously" but "made a mistake." The comments extend Perez's broader public campaign against officiating standards in European competition.
Why it matters
Perez rarely speaks publicly, so a direct on-camera complaint about a Champions League referee carries weight inside UEFA and within Spanish football's officiating debate. The remarks land amid Perez's parallel feud with Barcelona over the Negreira case and his repeated threats to push the Super League project, framing officiating grievances as part of a wider institutional fight. For Real Madrid, the exit to Bayern ends a season without a Champions League final for the first time in a multi-year run of deep European runs.
What to watch
Watch for UEFA's response and whether Camavinga or Real Madrid face any disciplinary follow-up for the public criticism of officiating. Perez's next scheduled media appearances and any Super League movement in the coming weeks are the next tells.